FAM Updates

  • Theresa Kulbaga: “Shutting down this committee sends a clear signal”

    Theresa Kulbaga: “Shutting down this committee sends a clear signal”

    “[You’re using] collective bargaining as an excuse to shut down a longstanding shared governance committee that seeks faculty feedback about our administrators. Shutting down opportunities to collaborate with faculty, to listen to our concerns and our ideas. It’s disappointing. It makes me sad. And it doesn’t have to be that way.” 

  • Kate Rousmaniere: “I support FAM, particularly in the face of what I see as declining faculty input”

    Kate Rousmaniere: “I support FAM, particularly in the face of what I see as declining faculty input”

    I served on the Committee for the Evaluation of Administrators for five years between 2003 + 2008.  At some point I co-chaired the Committee with Professor John Heyda from Middletown campus. The Committee was elected by our peers in Faculty Assembly—representing each academic division and the libraries.   As Department Chair during those years, I…

  • Shashi Lalvani: “Top 10 Reasons Why We Should Evaluate Administrators”

    Shashi Lalvani: “Top 10 Reasons Why We Should Evaluate Administrators”

    The administration’s “rationale” for terminating the process of evaluating administrators is as follows: Since FAM represents faculty for negotiations related to wages and employment, and therefore, Miami may not engage in soliciting individual faculty input. This has no legal, rational, or moral standing. As you will note, it says “may not engage..,” but does not…

  • Ron Becker: Ending feedback on admin shows “serious fragility of leadership”

    Ron Becker: Ending feedback on admin shows “serious fragility of leadership”

    I am currently serving on two committees that are grappling with how parts of Miami might need to change–perhaps profoundly—in response to the emerging conditions in higher ed and at Miami. I am convinced that those challenges are real and serious. And to be frank, I am worried.  This is not a manufactured crisis. The…

  • Cathy Wagner: “A strong organization is made stronger when it seeks constructive feedback from all its stakeholders.”

    Cathy Wagner: “A strong organization is made stronger when it seeks constructive feedback from all its stakeholders.”

    Hello colleagues, I’m Cathy Wagner, professor from the English Department. I am a three-term member of Senate, currently serving as elected member at large, and a former elected member of the All-Faculty Committee for Evaluation of Administrators. I’m also a proud organizer for the Faculty Alliance of Miami.  First, I know you all have many…

  • “This is not right”: Ginny Boehme at Faculty Assembly

    “This is not right”: Ginny Boehme at Faculty Assembly

    As mentioned by Cathy, one of the reasons (out of the many) that we have heard as to why this committee was shut down was the concern over direct dealing. To be clear, it’s a ridiculous argument. But it’s one that admin is sticking with so let’s explore it a bit more. At the bargaining…

  • FAM-L Bargaining, Day 4

    FAM-L Bargaining, Day 4

    Before we report, a reminder to attend Faculty Assembly this Thursday, November 30 at 4:15pm, 102 Benton. This special Faculty Assembly was called by a petition signed by 117 faculty. Their resolution — to preserve shared governance by reinstating the All-Faculty Committee for Evaluation of Administrators — can be voted on if a quorum of…

  • Day 7 of FAM-T Bargaining

    Day 7 of FAM-T Bargaining

    At FAM-T’s seventh bargaining session today, many proposals and counter-proposals passed across the table. The team is optimistic — we are making steady progress through the non-economic proposals. There’s a lot to discuss here, plua additional information in several short post-bargaining videos from FAM’s Negotiating Team here. Let us know if you have questions or…

  • FAM-L Day 3 Bargaining Update

    Our team came prepared to protect the intellectual property of librarians, bringing two proposals… Management struck out the protections we proposed extending to our colleagues who face discrimination due to citizenship and immigration status.